Finger exercising glove



1956 E. R. FREDENHAGEN ET AL 2,73

FINGER EXERCISING GLOVE Filed Dec. 29, 1951 FIG. 5.

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I V NTORS United States Patent O FINGER EXERCISING GLOVE Eva Redick Fredenhagen and Franz A. Fredenhagen, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 29, 1951, Serial No. 264,148

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-161) This invention relates to a finger exercising glove by the use of which persons being trained to use a key operated instrument, for example, the piano or typewriter, can more efficiently exercise and more rapidly develop strength and skill in the various muscles used.

It is not broadly new, in the art to which this invention pertains, to provide, for attachment to the hand, various kinds of exercising devices, some of which are weighted. However, there remains considerable room for improving upon prior devices of this kind, an examination of the prior art indicating that no finger exercising glove has heretofore been devised wherein finger weights are securely held in place and at the same time the finger tips of the wearer of the glove are prevented from slipping when they encounter the keys which they are operating.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an exercising glove which combines the merits of dependably holding finger weights in place and of sheathing the finger tips against slipping on the keys.

It is an object of the invention to maintain weights as near the tips of the fingers as possible so that, in practicing upon key operated structures all of the muscles of the fingers are acting against said weights, thus strengthening and developing the muscular tissue, not only of the fingers, but also of the wrist and forearm.

Also it is an object to provide the glove with means which dependably hold the weights in the proper position on the finger nail side so as not to strike keys adjacent to the one being struck by any finger. The combination of the weighted fingers of the glove with their rubberized tips gives the operator that weight touch so desirable for the tone effect on the piano and a firm pressure stroke for the typewriter and comptometer. When training is aided by using this invention hours of tedious practice are saved over the training time required when the operator is taught by the old methods of training for finger technic. By this invention a means is provided to attach the finger weights in an overlying relation to the finger nails, where they function in the most effective manner.

Also this invention provides a time saving means whereby a complete set of finger Weights may be mounted upon the hand as quickly as the hand may he slipped into the glove which carries them, and whereby all the weights for each hand may be removed as quickly as the glove carrying them can be removed.

With a view to accomplishing the foregoing objects we have developed a glove with finger weights held in the most advantageous positions on the finger nail sides of the finger portions of the glove.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

2,736,034 Patented Feb. 28, 1956 Fig. 1 is a view of the dorsal side of our finger exercising glove.

Fig. 2 is a view of the palmar side of said glove.

Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, fragmentary sections on line 3-3 and line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view separately showing a weight which is typical of the finger and thumb weights of the glove.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the glove therein shown comprises a fabric body portion 1, preferably made of a cotton sheet material; finger tip sheaths 2, made of a rubber or rubber like sheet material; and a plurality of small, preferably lead, weights 3 one for each finger and thumb of each hand.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, where a finger tip portion integral with the glove body 1 is designated 1a, the miniature weight 3 is interposed between the fabric sheet material of the glove and the rubber (or rubber like) sheath 2. When the glove is being worn the sheath maintains said weight in an overlying relation to the finger nail. Each Weight 3 is thus prevented from getting into an underlying relation to the finger tip, so that the weights never can interfere with operating the keys of the musical instruments or other key operated structures.

In the manufacture of the glove, a conventional fabric glove will first be made, desirably of cotton. Then the weights 3, each of a flattened concavo-convex character, after being coated on their concave surfaces 3a with a moist adhesive, will be adhered to the dorsal sides of the thumb tip and finger tip portions of the glove. Then a form will be placed within the glove which will hold extended and distended its finger tip and thumb tip portions. Thereupon, each finger tip and thumb tip will be dipped into liquefied rubber to a depth of approximately one inch, so as to entirely encase the weight and finger tip.

In order to coat with rubber a longer area of each finger tip portion of the glove on the finger nail side than on the palmar side, it is necessary to dip the gloves finger tip portions into the hot, liquid rubber with the finger nail side down and at the proper angle. Rubber processing concerns have the necessary equipment to do this.

It is very important that the fifth or little finger should not carry so heavy a Weight as the thumb, nor should the glove of a beginner be weighted so heavily as that of an advanced student or professional player.

It is essential that the finger tip and thumb tip portions of the glove should snugly fit the hand of the wearer so as to maintain the weights in an overlying relation to the thumb and finger nails, consequently the aforesaid form is made in several sizes. In its completed form, the glove body and inner layer of its thumb tip and finger tip portions should be made of a light weight cotton mesh or of other suitable material of a kind which will give plenty of flexibility to the movement of the fingers. In the draw ing the glove is shown equipped with an elastic wrist band 4, tensioned by means of a buckle 5, to hold the glove firmly on the hand. Said wrist band is shown attached to the glove by means of a plurality of conventional fasteners 40.

While we have specifically shown and described an embodiment of our invention at present considered preferable by us, various changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

We claim:

A finger exercising glove comprising fabric sheet material with individual finger and thumb enclosing portions, close-fitting sheaths encasing the finger tip and thumb tip portions of said sheet material, and a miniature metal weight encasedin each finger tip and thumb tip portion between achbf said sheaths and the underlying sheet material, said weights being maintained in pesitionentirely by said sheaths wherein they overlie the nails of the thumb and fingers of the wearer but are completely separatedb'y a'azt'rt of the sheet material from'the' ngails' of the wearer, said sheaths consisting Qf rubber cOatingS which adher e beth to said weightsend to thefinger tip" and thumb tip 'portions of stiid'she'e't material.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Mene stier Mar. Kayser Sept. Lindner June Tillotson Nov. Scott Feb. Swietek Nov.

FOREIGN PATENTS,

Aust ie Jan. 

